South Korea has become a hub for medical tourism, performing a huge proportion of plastic surgeries worldwide every year. In this video, we look at the plastic surgery industry in Korea, and what is behind the boom of medical tourism.

You find ads for plastic surgery everywhere in Seoul, the capital city of South Korea. These kinds of surgeries are common, not just for foreigners who come from around the world, but also for locals.

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In a competitive culture where pictures are attached to resumes and everyone wants to look like a K-pop star, surgery is a common high school graduation gift.

Surgeons in South Korea handle everything from removing wrinkles to completely shaping the jawline. The results are often celebrated online and on television, with before and after pictures or videos accompanied with dramatic music. While many in the west criticize plastic surgery or view it as something vain, in South Korea there is a different attitude. Plastic surgery brings more confidence, and an advantage in a competitive work and social life. As one patient said – “new face, new life.”.